The Holy Scriptures - 1689 LBCF

          The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith is an important document that
     outlined the differences between General and Particular brands of Baptist belief.
     General Baptists believed a Christian's salvation was contingent upon his own
     choice, while Particular Baptists asserted that a Christian's salvation was ultimate-
     ly dependent upon God and His sovereign choice.  The document was written by
     and for Particular (Reformed) Baptist leaders.


          The document begins:

                        "We the Ministers and Messengers of and concerned for upwards of
    100 baptized congregations in England and Wales (denying Arminianism), being
    met together in London, from the third of the seventh month to the eleventh of the
    same, 1689, to consider of some things that might be for the glory of God, and the
    good of these congregations, have thought meet to recommend to their perusal the
    confession of our faith, which confession we own, as containing the doctrine of our
    faith and practice, and do desire that the members of our churches respectively do
    furnish themselves, therewith,"
                                                             
                                                                  signed by
                                                                  (37 Ministers)


          Major highlights from Chapter one - Of the Holy Scriptures

          * "The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all sav-
     ing knowledge, faith, and obedience, although the light of nature and the works of
     creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God,
     as to leave men inexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of
     God and his will which is necessary unto salvation.
            "Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers manners to reveal
     himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and afterward for the better
     preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and com-
     fort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan, and of
     the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which maketh the Holy Scriptures
     to be most necessary, those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people
     being now ceased."
             (2 Timothy 3:15-17; Romans 1:19-20; Romans 15:4; 2 Peter 1:19-20)

          * "The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, dependeth
     not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God who is truth it-
     self, the author thereof; therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God."
              (2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 John 5:9)

          * "The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory,
     man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in
     the Holy Scripture; unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new
     revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men.
            "Nevertheless, we acknowldege the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be
     necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word, and
     that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of
     the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the
     light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word,
     which are always to be observed."
                (Galatians 1:8-9; John 6:45)

          * "All things in Scripture are not alike, plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all;
     yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation,
     are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only
     the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of ordinary means, may attain to a sufficient
     understanding of them."
                (Psalm 19:7; Psalm 119:130)

          * "The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself; and therefore
     when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture which is not mani-
     fold, but one, it must be searched by other places that speak more clearly."
                (2 Peter 1:20-21; Acts 15:15-16)

          * "The supreme judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and
     all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits,
     are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy
     Scripture delivered by the Spirit, into which Scripture so delivered, our faith is finally
     resolved."
                 (Matthew 22:29,31,32; Ephesians 2:20)